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Of Mice and Men – Section Two
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Plot summary exercise
Complete the plot summary by filling in the blanks:
George and Lennie arrive at the ____________ where an
old ___________ shows them their beds. They meet the
________ who asks George about Lennie. The swamper
comes back with his _______. They meet the boss’s son,
whose name is ____________. Curley’s new _______
comes in, looking for her husband. They also meet a man
called _________ whose dog has just had some
____________.
ranch
swamper
boss
dog
Curley wife
Slim
puppies
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Setting the scene
Re-read the first paragraph of this section.
Look at how Steinbeck sets the scene by describing the bunk-house before the characters enter.
Why do you think he does this?
Notice how all the action in the second section takes place in the bunk house.
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Character studies
Fill in some details about each of the new characters.
The Old Swamper
Appearance: _________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Personality: _________________________________________
Useful Quotations: ____________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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The Boss
Character studies
Appearance: _________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Personality: _________________________________________
Useful Quotations: ____________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Curley
Character studies
Appearance: _________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Personality: _________________________________________
Useful Quotations: ____________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Curley’s wife
Character studies
Appearance: _________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Personality: _________________________________________
Useful Quotations: ____________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Slim
Character studies
Appearance: _________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Personality: _________________________________________
Useful Quotations: ____________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Foreshadowing
Steinbeck drops hints about what might happen later on in the book. Read the quotations below and decide what events they might foreshadow. Don’t forget to check later to see if you guessed right!
Foreshadowing
'You keep away from Curley, Lennie.'
(George)
'Hide till I come for you. Don’t let nobody see you.'
(George)
'Gosh, she was purty.'
(Lennie)
'Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog ...'
(Carlson)
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The dog is now old and worn out. He is no longer
useful, - look what happens to him later in
the story.
He is an ‘outsider’, because he is old and worn out. When you have finished the story, think about the links between the ‘outsiders’.
Closing the scene
Look at the last paragraph of the scene. Referring back to events in this section, what do you think the significance of Candy’s old dog might be? Write your ideas below.
Candy has had him since he was a pup - they are loyal friends, just like George and Lennie.
Slim’s puppies are newly born - it is
significant that we hear about them in the
same section that we meet the dog.
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Questions
Why do you think George lies to the Boss about his relationship with Lennie?
Is Curley’s wife really looking for her husband? If not, what is she doing in the bunk-house?
Why does George tell Lennie to stay away fromCurley’s wife?
What sort of man does Slim seem to be? Look carefully at the conversation between Slim and George.
